It's not mr chips' post, but BT's photo that expanded everything. Moderators, is there a way to control this sort of thing? I've seen it happen in quite a few other threads. Very annoying.

Buddy

From my old computer programming days I will tell you yes they can disable the horizontal scroll bars. The only problem when doing web programming is obviously not everyone has the same size monitor. They would just need to decide where to draw the line so to speak.

I would be wrong if I were arguing that all or even most Christians behaved like the radical few. That's not what I'm arguing. I'm arguing that fanticism is something to be avoided in all religions. I tend to believe as I think you do that fanaticism is now and probably always has been a more common phenomenon in the Muslim religion which was out converting adherents of other faiths at the tip of a sword within 100 years of its birth. But Christians have behaved fanatically at many times in history from the cruscades and the Inquisition to modern times when a few of them do murder and other crimes in the name of their religious beliefs (in utter controvention to what Christ taught). So fanticism from whatever source needs to be fought and I personally applaud the journalists in Europe who, unlike their cowardly American brethren, are willing to call a fanatic a fanatic and fight against fanaticism.

What I see in this entire mess is how quickly certain groups follow their so called leaders to riot and cause violence in the name of religion. We can say those leaders are terrorists, but I don't understand why the people don't have enough sense themselves to realize that their actions are completely out of proportion to the insult they are protesting against.

I can't remember how many times I have seen extremely bigoted and nasty cartoons published which defamed a religious, cultural, or political group. My response was to think poorly of the cartoonist, and the publication. Even if I was a member of the group being defamed, I would not think about taking to the streets to protest, throw rocks, and try to burn buildings.

If Muslims in certain middle east countries want to be accepted by the rest of the world, they should stop acting like fanatics. I can't believe Mohammed (or Jesus) would approve of what is being done in their names by their religious followers.

If Muslims in certain middle east countries want to be accepted by the rest of the world, they should stop acting like fanatics. I can't believe Mohammed (or Jesus) would approve of what is being done in their names by their religious followers.

I think the issue is that "Muslims in certain middle east countries" do not care at all about being "accepted by the rest of the world." They do not care anymore about what you think than you care about what a cockroach thinks, they are Muslims, and you are not.

Hello All,I can't speak for Islam, or for Christianity for that matter, but it could be that many followers arefearful of outside influences, fear of losing control, fearful that their culture is being hi-jackedand they are not sure of where it is going. The first reaction is always to be defensive and negative.That is how we all usually react when what we think is a chaotic force moves into our world.I do not condone the actions of the "fanatics," but it is a pure human reaction from a people thathave lived in region of the world that the "civilized West" and many of their leaders under the directionof the "civilized West" have used and abused for so long.I still recall when I was a child in the 1960's, many people using the phase, "Damn Yankees" and meaningit, due to the Civil War and Reconstruction. In our nation, we had the KKK and other hate groups rise up.It has taken us a long time to raise the mask of being acceptable, though many nasty undercurrents stillexist. So I would suggest we not accept the fanatics reactions to the cartoons, but at the same time we shouldtake a little time and examine ourselves. We have our own issues to face...how kind are we really to thoseof different colour, different sexual orientation, any "other" than "us." Heck, we had to make separatesection for Fast Food here at Roadfood. Yes, for the most part, we do not result to physical violence. But we are just as violent with our wordsand laws. We are all controlled by fear, but how we allow fear to controll us is a matter of our comfortzones. We can make laws determining how labels must state how much fat or cholesterol is in a product webuy because we are not a hungry nation,(for the most part, we are not a hungry nation.) It seems we feedon fear, and our fears are different from other nations. But maybe I am just wrong. I hope so, because fear is nothing but bad."There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made of perfect in love." I John 4: 18None of us are perfect, but we can seek love which can lead us to something more than we are. Take Care,Fieldthistle

I can't speak for Islam, or for Christianity for that matter, but it could be that many followers arefearful of outside influences, fear of losing control, fearful that their culture is being hi-jackedand they are not sure of where it is going. The first reaction is always to be defensive and negative.

I very much appreciate all of what you had to say, but the part I quoted above is something I've been thinking about. What's been going through my head is the contrast between all this fear and concern among Muslims about their culture being hijacked and the reaction of "Christendom" (i.e European civilization) when it first encountered the Muslims. If you recall, when Mohammed lived and preached his religion, Europe was mired in the Dark Ages and it didn't make a lot of progress in the direction of civilization until the Muslim civilization was well established and the two cultures came into contact. At that point, rather than being overcome with fear, to our everlasting benefit the West adopted many wonderful things--some might say the best things--of the Muslim culture from Arabic numerals to many different spices to algebra to the preserved learning of the Greeks. I certainly wish the modern Muslims would let us return the favor rather than yearning to return to the 8th century.

Originally posted by Fieldthistle[I still recall when I was a child in the 1960's, many people using the phase, "Damn Yankees" and meaningit, due to the Civil War and Reconstruction. First of all it was the war of northern aggression and I was not aware that one could say yankee w/o the modification of damn. And yes, we still mean it altough we are now winning the economic part of that war.

I saw a wonderful cartoon by Singe Wilkinson in the Washington Post a few days ago. Had Buddah, Krishna, Jesus, Mohammed, & God sitting in a semi-circle sharing a laugh at a book entitled "Totally Offensive Religious Cartoons for Dummies" (or some such). Maybe we could take a lesson?

On the strictly religious isssue, I'm firmly with Thomas Jefferson and Harlan Ellison (paraphrase): "People pretty much get the government (and gods) they deserve". Puts it in a rather scary perspective that, as a (supposedly) sentient race, we do this to ourselves. (And keep doing it throughout the ages - will we ever learn?)

What I see in this entire mess is how quickly certain groups follow their so called leaders to riot and cause violence in the name of religion. We can say those leaders are terrorists, but I don't understand why the people don't have enough sense themselves to realize that their actions are completely out of proportion to the insult they are protesting against.

I can't remember how many times I have seen extremely bigoted and nasty cartoons published which defamed a religious, cultural, or political group. My response was to think poorly of the cartoonist, and the publication. Even if I was a member of the group being defamed, I would not think about taking to the streets to protest, throw rocks, and try to burn buildings.

If Muslims in certain middle east countries want to be accepted by the rest of the world, they should stop acting like fanatics. I can't believe Mohammed (or Jesus) would approve of what is being done in their names by their religious followers.

That's the problem with the human race, though, Berndog. We fear what we are not familiar with, and act on that fear by eradicating what is different from ourselves.

Upon rereading my posts, it could be taken that I'm defending the kneejerk reactionists. Sorry, no, just shaking my head in sorrow as the evidence mounts that the human race has seemingly learned exactly zero about getting along with each other over the last few millenia. We're still a bunch of tribes with sticks, pounding the hell out of each other and ourselves trying to make everybody the same. Sad.

Upon rereading my posts, it could be taken that I'm defending the kneejerk reactionists. Sorry, no, just shaking my head in sorrow as the evidence mounts that the human race has seemingly learned exactly zero about getting along with each other over the last few millenia. We're still a bunch of tribes with sticks, pounding the hell out of each other and ourselves trying to make everybody the same. Sad.

Thats the real problem. I can accept a bunch of fanatic Muslim arabs running through their own streets and stoning or burning embassy's. But the danger is going way beyond sticks and stones. 911 was bad enough, but when Iran or North Korea (not Muslim, but just as fanatical and dangerous) obtains nukes and missles to deliver them to our shores, we have a major problem.

And Bushie, I understand what you say, but it was my belief that Mohammed believed in peace between nations. I have been told that he didn't originate the idea of killing infidels (meaning anyone who is not a Muslim), but said that the infidels would not go to his heaven.

If peaceful Muslims just hoped to convert me so I would go to their heaven, I could accept that. I don't consider Mormons who come to my door to be terrorists. I cannot accept the more radical and modern Muslim belief that infidels should be killed. I hate to say bomb them before they bomb us, but it could come to having to make that decision someday. I pity our world if it does.

From CNN yesterday; in Pakistan, American businesses were picketed and stoned, including McDonalds, Kentucky Fried Chicken, and Pizza Hut. As much as we disagree with these demonstrations, those actions must have made a few Roadfooders smile.